South America

A short distance from Buenos Aires is the beautiful Estancia La Bamba de Areco. Not only does this working estancia provide superb accommodation and a great introduction to rural life in Argentina but it is one of the few places where you can witness firsthand gauchos who practice the art of ‘horse whispering’, a strange and almost mystical way to tame and train horses. For those lucky enough to witness a Horse Whisperer demonstration, the experience is truly amazing.
The term “horse whispering” refers to the method of taming a horse according to its nature, avoiding fear and pain, and by earning its trust and loyalty. Gentle, repetitive, persuasive techniques help build up trust between the rider and horse. In Argentina this technique is known as ‘Doma India’.
“As the gaucho enters the arena they apply gentle pressure to the horse and it lies down effortlessly on the ground. They lie alongside and gently breathe into the horse’s nostrils. The animal is totally at ease, calm and trance-like. The horse is rolled onto its back with its legs in the air and the rider climbs gently onto the animal’s stomach. The demonstration continues for ten minutes until finally the horse returns to all fours still totally at ease.”

Although Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrated in towns and villages throughout Brazil and many other Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro has long been regarded as the ‘Carnival capital of the world’. The Rio Carnival is not only the biggest – and one of the most interesting artistic events on the globe – but is also the benchmark against which every other carnival is compared. Almost everyone has heard of it! Foreign visitors alone number around 500,000 every year, with the total annual number of visitors in excess of 2 million.
Brazil’s world-famous annual festival and a party from dusk ’til dawn!
2017 Friday 24th February to Tuesday 28th February
2018 Friday 9th February to Tuesday February 13th February
2019 Friday 1st March to Tuesday 5th March

One of the most important religious festivals of the Incan period took place during the winter solstice (and Inca New Year) when the sun is farthest from the earth; homage was paid to Inti, the Sun God, praising him as the source of all life and pleading for his return. The celebration first occurred in 1412 in Haukaypata, the main plaza of the Inca capital, and lasted for nine days that were filled with dances and colourful processions, as well as animal sacrifices to the Earth Mother, Pachamama. The annual festival continued until 1535 when it was banned by the Spanish conquerors and their Catholic priests.

Based on historical chronicles, a reconstruction of the event was performed in 1944 and since then it has become Cuzco’s most important festival, the ceremony being re-enacted on 24 June each year. It begins in the morning at Koricancha, the ‘Temple of the Sun’, and progresses to Haukaypata where certain rites are carried out, before the procession winds its way through the streets to the fortress of Sacsayhuaman where the main ceremony and rituals are performed, finishing with sounds of great rejoicing from the people.

Inti Raymi attracts thousands of tourists from all over Peru and the world as the city celebrates for a whole week with street dances, parades and performances from sun-up to sundown.

The word ‘desert’ usually conjures images of dust, sand and rocks, cactus and scuttling creatures and, while the Atacama Desert in northern Chile has all of the above, it also offers many unexpected surprises. Forget your preconceived ideas of a barren desert environment – Atacama is bursting with exceptional experiences just waiting for you to discover.

But to begin, its best kept secret might be the high quality of accommodation. Staying in the desert doesn’t have to mean roughing it and Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa in the oasis town of San Pedro is pure luxury. The hotel’s distinctive architecture is designed to reflect a traditional adobe settlement, blending harmoniously with the surrounding desert landscape. After spending the day exploring, it’s heaven to come back and enjoy all its comforts: the sumptuous beds, soothing music and lighting, and private patios. Six intimate bathing pools, a pampering Spa and sauna, and a relaxing hot tub. Indoor and outdoor dining and lounge areas, cosy open fires, a well-stocked bar and three-course gourmet meals accompanied by an extensive wine list sure to satisfy the most discerning diner.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is the palette of colours the desert landscape resents, at different times of the day reflecting the entire spectrum of the rainbow. Earthy yellows, oranges, browns and reds are to be anticipated but the blues, aquas, mauves, deep purples and pinks are an unexpected pleasure.

The Atacama Desert is a photographer’s dream – amazing rock formations to inspire the imagination, spectacular snow-capped Andean mountains and active volcanoes;
colourful salt flats and red, blue, turquoise and green lagoons tinted by their high mineral contents; bubbling mud, geysers spouting steam skywards, and thermal pools to entice the brave from the air’s chilly temperatures; and a surreal lunar landscape so moon-like that NASA tested its robot explorers there prior to their space missions.

There’s also amazing wildlife to challenge a photographer’s reflexes: furry viscachas with their rabbit ears and curly possum-like tails, russet and grey foxes, grazing vicuñas (regal relatives of the llama), rheas pecking among the gravel, pink flamingoes sieving tiny brine shrimp from shallow lakes, geckos scampering between the rock crevices, and great condors circling high on the updrafts of the mountains.

Add to this mix of sensory delights a few unexpected experiences which ensure visiting the Atacama will be something to add to your bucket list. Things like picnicking on a buffet-style gourmet lunch set out beside a shimmering lagoon, watching a herd of vicuñas paddling in icy waters, or enjoying canapés and a glass of wine while watching the sun set across the Andes.

And at the end of the day back at your  hotel,  reclining on a lounger in the quiet dark and gazing into a starred night sky, snuggling by an open-pit fire and savouring a hearty red, or relaxing in a hot tub as you sip a cocktail and reminisce about the day’s excursions.

Peru, and in particular Lima, has in recent years earned its title as the ‘gastronomy capital’ of Latin America and when you visit the country and experience some of its sensational restaurants, you will soon understand why it so well deserves this accolade. Peruvian chefs have for many years been making their mark on the international restaurant scene. Peruvian gastronomy is among the most diverse in the world, largely as a result of its three different geographical regions – the coast, the mountains and the jungle. The distinctiveness of the different indigenous and immigrant populations has also helped put Peruvian cuisine well and truly on the world stage.

It is no surprise that this innovative restaurant in the city’s Miraflores district is very highly-ranked in the prestigious Pellegrino survey of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ – and came in at No. 1 on 2014’s list of ‘Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants’! If you are a lover of fine food this culinary experience will live long in your memory. It is among our very favourite restaurants, and is said by some to be Lima’s finest dining. The restaurant specialises in presenting the amazing diversity of Peruvian gastronomy and the chef delights in discovering new ways to integrate natural ingredients into the dishes; the cuisine is always exciting, occasionally even a little challenging.

Our recommendation is to try one of the two tasting menus on offer – the ‘Mater Elevations’ menu, in particular, is a fascinating food journey. Starting at ‘sea level’ and working your way up, sampling through 17 different dishes, you will quickly discover the incredible variety of produce from Peru’s three main geographical zones.

“It’s tough to get a reservation, but worth the effort. Inventive, local exotic ingredients and beautifully presented. Very, very sophisticated!”. A happy customer – Nov. 2014

Open:

Lunch – Mon – Fri from 12:45pm to 3:15pm

Dinner – Mon – Wed from 7:45pm to 11:15pm Thu – Sat from 7:45pm to 11:45pm